Aerosol double mixing unit with actuating means



United States Patent Leo I. Forim Apr. 3, 1968 Dec. 22, 1970 SterlingDrug, Inc.

New York, N.Y.

a corporation of Delaware lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented AssigneeAEROSOL DOUBLE MIXING UNIT WITH ACTUATING MEANS 8 Claims, 6 DrawingFigs.

Int. (1 B67d 5/52 Field of Search 222/ 145, 135, l46l-l, 402.14, 402.24,402.25, 488, 518, 506,505,472,l73,18l,180, 191,470,130

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,236,457 2/1966 Kennedy eta]. 222/135X 3,237,809 3/1966 Daragan et al..... 222/135 3,451,5936/1969 Dillarstone 222/130 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves AssistantExaminer- N. L. Stack Attorney-Charles R. Fay

ABSTRACT: A device having separate chambers receiving the stems of twoaerosol containers in opposed relation, the device including a barrierpreventing the product of either container impinging on the other,passages around the barrier to a nozzle wherein the products from thetwo aerosols are mixed, and means in the form of a scissor or plier forattachment to the two aerosols providing one-handed manipulation of thesame to cause the aerosol valves thereof to open simultaneously.

PATENTEB 125222 mu SHEET 2 OF 2 AEROSOL DOUBLE MIXING UNIT WITHACTUATING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION plish this action and at thesame time to direct the mixture to a desired location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In this case two reacting aerosol products areeasily mixed even though each product is packaged in its own aerosolcontainer. A one-piece actuating adapter is provided with recessesreceiving the aerosol valve stems of different containers in opposedrelationship, and ascissor or plier-type of tool is applied to thecontainers for moving them toward each other while the adapter holds thestems against movement, thereby actuating the aerosols simultaneously,the adapter simultaneously mixing the two products while preventingdirect impingement of the spray streams upon the opposed valve stem, andthe adapter having a nozzle directing the nowmixed aerosol products at adesired location using the scissor or plier-type actuator as a handle,the operator thereby not only mixing the products and directing themixture to a desired location but also easily controlling the openingand closing of the valves for the aerosol containers simultaneously.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENTS ,Referringnow to FIG. 1, the reference numeral indicates aconventional aerosol container and numeral 12 indicates a similarcontainer. These containers as usual are provided with valve actuatingstems 14, 16 which upon being pressed slightly inwardly will cause thevalves to open and discharge the aerosol products through the passages18 and 20 in the stems.

A valve stem actuating adapter generally indicated at 22 is providedwith an emission opening or orifice 24 generally centrally thereof, seeFIGS. 1 and 2. This orifice is in communication with a pair of aerosolvalve stem recesses generally indicated at 26 and 28. These recesses arearranged opposite to each other as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 andare provided with shoulders or the like 30, 32 which receive the valvestems 14 and 16 respectively, and the stems can be thrust into theserecesses to a limited degree only because-the shoulders hold the stemsin the position indicated in FIG. 1.

The recesses at 26 and 28 continue inwardly forming chambers at 34 and36, see FIG. 2. At the'center of the adapter there is a transversebarrier 38 which extends across the combined chambers 34, 36', otherwisethese passages would form a single chamber. Thus when the aerosols areactuated, the sprays therefrom are deflected so that neither sprayimpinges directly on the valve stem of the other container. Thisprevents one aerosol spray from entering the opposite container due to apossible pressure differential.

However, the barrier 38 has a free edge formed by convergingcomplementary inclined surfaces 42, these surfaces forming passageways44 leading into the emission orifice 24. Thus it will be seen that thesprays are directed at converging angles to intermix and react in theemission orifice 24.

A spout of any desired nature such as that at 46 may be applied to theemission orifice 24 with a sliding friction fit and it is clear thatmany different kinds of spouts may be utilized in this manner to directthe combined products of the two reacting aerosols to a desiredlocation, and to increase the mixing effect.

In order to achieve actuation as described above without using two handsor otherwise requiring an awkward manipulation, an actuating tool isprovided which is generally indicated by the reference numeral 50. Thisdevice is provided with a pair of crossed handles 52, 54 preferablynormally separated by a spring 56 and pivoted together as at 58. Thistool presents forwardly extending arms 60 and 62 terminating in arcuategripping members 64 and 66. These gripping members are provided withinner flanges 68 and smaller outer flanges 70 whereby they may grip thecrimped edges 72 and 74 of the respective aerosols, these crimped edgesbeing present in the aerosol containers, holding the valve mechanisms inposition with respect to the interior of the containers as is well known'to those skilled in the art. The flange at 68 is greater in extent thanthat at 70 as the flanges 68 overlie relatively free portions of theedges 72 and 74, but the flanges at 70 have only a small amount of areain which to operate. In any event the edges at 72 and 74 are firmly heldby means of the jaws on the arms 60 and 62.

The jaw members 64 and 66 may generally be semicircular so that they areeasily thrust onto the crimped areas 72 and 74 but when in position theysnugly fit the same, and the entire apparatus as seen in FIG. 1 may bemanipulated with one hand, with handles 52 and 54, as though the devicewere a single unit. The spring 56 keeps the handles 52 and 54 apart andthis in turn keeps the aerosol containerslt) and 12 in theirspaced-apart condition wherein the valve stems are extended and thevalves closed. However upon grasping the two handles 52 and 54 in onehand and squeezing with the noule 46 pointed in the appropriatedirection, it will be seen that the aerosol containers are advancedrespectively but the valve stems 14 and 16 are held by shoulders 30 and32. Thus the valve stems are relatively retracted and the aerosols areactuated to emit their sprays which pass respectively through thechambers 34 and 36, striking the barrier 38, and thence are directedthrough the passages 42, 44 to become commingled in the orifice 24,whereupon they pass together through the nozzle 46 in the desireddirection.

Should it be desired to ship the unit assembled as shown in FIG. 1, anykind of block indicated at 76 may be interposed between the handles 52and 54 maintaining the same in spaced-apart condition against accidentalapproach.

In some cases it may be desired to utilize aerosols of differentconfigurations, and in this case actuating tools of slightly differentnature should be provided.

For example referring to FIG. 5, there is an aerosol container 10a whichis equivalent to that at 10 in FIG. 1. The entire adapter 22a is thesame as before described and the numerals correspond. Handle part 52a,arm 60a, and jaw 64a are all the same as before, for embracing thecrimped edge 74a for moving the container 100 so as to operate the stern14a.

However in the case shown in FIG. 5, the aerosol container at 80 is ofan elongated type and the arm 62a instead of being provided with a jawsuch as that at 66 is extended as at 82 terminating in an inverted wellor the like 84 receiving the entire bottom portion 86 of the container80. The operation however is the same as before described.

As shown in FIG. 6 this can be varied by providing a U- shaped arm 88instead of the extension 80, which arm will bear upon the bottom of thecrimped area 90 of the aerosol 80b, and the corresponding numerals andthe action is the same as before described.

I claim:

1. The combination of an adapter having opposed recesses for receivingthe opposed valve stems of a pair of separate aerosol containersarranged generally coaxially, and passages in the adapter communicatingwith the recesses to direct spray from said separate containers to acommon mixing chamber and orifice for the mixed sprays, an actuator,said actuator including means for engaging the aerosol containers withthe valve stems thereof received in the recesses in the adapter, saidactuator including means for relatively moving the aerosol containerswhile the valve stems thereof are held in the adapter, so that uponmanipulation of the actuator it causes sprays to issue from saidaerosols and to be mixed in the mixing chamber and emitted from theadapter in mixed form, and a single barrier in said adapter formingbottoms for each passage in position to be impinged upon by the spraysissuing from the valve stems of said aerosol containers, said barrierbeing positioned in a location to prevent the spray of one aerosol fromimpinging directly upon the valve stem of the other aerosol.

2. The combinations of claim 1 wherein said barrier has a beveled freeedge offset from the main streams of said sprays and forming a portionof the passages just at the mixing chamber.

3. An adapter for a plurality of aerosols, said adapter having opposedrecesses therein for the reception of the valve stems of at least twoaerosols in generally opposed relationship with respect to each other,means in said adapter recesses for holding said valve a, stemssubstantially immobile with respect thereto so that movement of theaerosols relative to said adapter causes relative motion of the valvestems, opening the respective aerosol valves and causing spray to issueinto said adapter recesses;

said adapter having a chamber receiving the sprays simultaneously sothat they become mixed, passages from each recess to the chamber, saidmixed spray issuing t the exterior of said adapter through the chamber;

a scissor-type implement comprising two pivoted members movable withrespect to each other, each member including an aerosol holding elementand a handle for moving the aerosols simultaneously toward each otherand relative to the adapter.

4. The adapter of claim 3 wherein at least one of said aerosol holdingelements comprises a generally U-shaped member for detachable connectionto a portion of the respective aerosol.

5. The adapter of claim 3 wherein saidaerosol holding elements eachcomprise a generally U-shaped member for detachable connection to aportion of the respective aerosol.

6. The adapter of claim 3 wherein at least one of said aerosol holdingelements comprises a generally U-shaped member for detachable connectionto a portion of the respective aerosol adjacent the valve stem thereof.

7. The adapter of claim 3 wherein said aerosol holdingelements eachcomprise a generally U-shaped member for detachable connection to aportion of the respective aerosol adjacent the valve stems thereof.

8. The adapter of claim 3 wherein said aerosol holding elements eachcomprise a generally U shapd member for detachable connection to aportion of the respective aerosol, one holding element being adapted toengage its aerosol adjacent the valve stem thereof, and the otherholding element being adapted to engage the bottom of its respectiveaerosol, remote from the valve stem thereof.

